Chair.



J.. E. HANGER. CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED DAECA 1913.

Pated June 5,1917.4

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J. E. HANGER.

CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4. I9I3,

Patented June 5, 1917.

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/1 TTURNEY JAMES E. HANGER, GF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CHAIR.

specification of Letters recent.

Patented J une 5, 1917.

Application filed December 4, 1913. Serial No. 804,661.

ToaZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. HANGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chairs, of which the following is a specification. A

This invention relates to improvements in chairs; and it comprises a chair provided with a yieldable and adjustable back rest which can be adjusted and held at a higher or lower position as desired; it also comprises such a back rest mounted upon yieldable and flexible supports extending from the top of the chair back to the back of the chair sea-t and supporting the chair seat at its back, independently of the chair seat frame; more speciically, it comprises such improvements applied to a chair of the Morris chair type provided with a bach which can be raised or lowered into reclining position and with a seat which can be correspondingly moved to the same extent as the back; and it further comprises certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts; all as more fully hereinafter set forth and as claimed.

The present invention relates to improvements upon chairs of the same general type described and claimed in my prior Patent No. 820,864, May 15, 1906.

In the accompanying drawings are illustrated certain embodiments of the present invention, and the invention will be described more particularly in connection with these specific embodiments. It will be understood that the invention is illustrated thereby but not confined thereto.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 shows a chair in perspective embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2, is a back view of part of the chair, with the back covering removed, showing the adjustable back rest;

Fig. 3 shows a central vertical section of the chair;

Fig. 4c shows in perspective one form of the adjustable back rest;

Fig. 5 is a view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a sectional View on the line -7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a detail view of a corner of the chair as viewed from below the chair;

Fig. 9 shows a modification of the adjustable back rest; and

Fig. 10 shows a modification of the means for releasing the latch which holds the chair seat in adjusted position.

I will now proceed to describe the speciiic structure of this embodimentof the invention more in detail. The chair used to illustrate the invention is of the type commonly known as Morris. chairs. Such chairs are provided both with reclining and without reclining backs. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the back is shown as reclining. This chair, as shown, comprises the side frame portion l, the front frame portion 2, the rear frame section 3 and the legs t and 5 upon which is mounted the arm rest 6. The seat is shown as made up of the side pieces 7 united by the front piece 8 into which the wire rods 10 extend and by which they are supported. These rods 10 are integrally united with the cross bar connecting their rear ends and are connected to the seat frame only at their front ends and are provided with a cover 9 of any suitable or preferred material. The back of the chair is shown as made up of the side sections 11 connected at the top by the connection 12 and pivoted near their lower ends to the chair frame at 13. The side sections 7 of the seat are pivoted to the side sections 11 of the back at 14, the pivot 14 being normally directly below the pivot 13 so that as the back is moved forward or backward from its normal position, this pivot la will be moved backward or forward to a corresponding extent. rIhe weight of the person sitting in the chair tends to return the chair seat to the position shown in Fig. 3 unless the back of the chair is moved backward and it may sometimes be desirable to provide a stop 13a to limit the backward movement of the chair seat and the forward movement of the chair back, but this stop may be dispensed with in some constructions and its position can also be varied. Extending downward from the top of the back 12 are the straps 15 of thin steel or other suitable material spaced apart and provided near their lower ends with perforations 1 6 and united to the wire rods 10 at their ends as indicated at 17 by riveting or other suitable means. Mounted on these straps 15 which form a flexible chair back and which also form suitable guides is the adjustable back which are attached the plates 20, suitably connected to each other and each provided with curved portions or guide elements 21 for holding the back rest in engagement with the straps-or guides 15, with side extensions 22 for assisting in guiding the back rest, and with a projection 23 for engaging the perforations 16 and holding the adjustable back rest in the desired position.v It will be understood that` the chair may be provided with a suitable cushion 25 and with a suitable covering` (notshown) for the baclr of the chair. It will also be understood that the upholstery of the chair and the material of which it is constructed, as well as its relative proportions and size can be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. At the top of the chair back, a head -rest 27 is shown made of fabric suitably attached to the end supports 26.

Projecting downwardly from the front section 8 of the chair seat frame is a projection 30 to which is attached the bar 31 which extends backwardly under the chair seat. Mounted on the chair frame 2 is a clutch member 32 pivoted to the frame by means of the pivot 33 operating in a slot in the clutch member. is also provided with a slot 34 through which the bar 31 extends, the construction and relativer arrangement of this slot and bar being such as to cause the bar to be clutched or gripped firmly by the corners of the clutch when the bar is moved outwardly but-permitting the bar to be moved backwardly noiselessly and easily and without obstruction by the clutch. The clutch 32 has an extension 35 to which the connecting rod 36 is pivoted, and at the end of the connecting rod 36 is the operating'lever 37 extending above the side frame of the chairv at 38, the lever 37 being pivoted at 40 to the chair frame and at 39 to the connecting rod 36. A spring 41a normally holds the clutch in a position to grip the bar 31 and prevent forward movement thereof, until released On the bottom of the seat frame 7 are wearing plates 41 which slide lon similar plates 43 fastened to the frame 2,

the forward movement of the chair seat being` limited by suitable stops 42 on the` a push rod 45 is used instead of the pivoted4 lever 37, this push rod 'being connected to one arm 46 of a bell crank lever pivoted at 47 to the 'other arm 48 to which isfattached theV connecting rod 36.

` In Fig. 9 is shown a modificationof the adjustable back; ,This back is made up of a thin flexible sheet metal plate 50 provided with 'detachableextensions 51 e. 'g1' ofleather to which the front straps 52 of thin flexible rlhis clutch member and the perforations 16 in the strap 15,

the adjustable back can be raised or lowered and accommodated as may be found desirable for the comfort of the occupant.

rllhis adjustable back is also yieldable andV forms ayieldable support for the back of the person sitting in the chair. rThe flexible nature of the straps 15 which are independently yieldable and to the flexibility of this back. It will be seen that the chair seat 9 is supported at its back by the straps 15V so that the chair seat and back are pivoted to each other independently of the chair seat frameand back frame which are pivoted at their ends at 14. Both the chair seat and the chair back are accordingly much less rigid than would otherwise be the case so that the chair tends to accommodate itself more readily to the position of the occupant in it. The effective support for the back of the occupant of the chair is primarilyV the adjustable back rest itself together with the head rest 27 which is also shown as yieldable, so that the entire back support of the occupant of the chair is of a yieldable nature which readily accommodates itself to different positions'of the occupant. Itl will be understood, however that the advantages of the adjustable back rest are Still obtained to a greater or less extend irrespective of therigid or yieldable nature of the chair back itself. Vhen it is desired to lower the back of the chair, the operating rod'37 is pushed outwardly at 3S or the push rod 45 is depressed and thereby the connecting rod 36 is moved outwardly and the clutch 32 liaclrwardly until it frees the bar 31v which can then be moved outwardly together with the chair seat itself until the chair back has been lowered to the desired reclining position. The clutch 32 then holdsV the rodV 31 from further'movel j mentand the chair back is locked and held When from further backward movement.

the occupant of the chair raises himself to return automatically to'its'normal position when the'occupant of the chair rises from a recliningfto an upright position.V

This forward movement of the chair back can be arrested if desired by the stop 13a. The forward movement of the chair seat will also be arrested when the stop 42 engages with the plate A3.

It will be seen that the adjustable back enables the occupant of the chair to so arrange this back as to make the chair most comfortable for him. It will also be seen that this back is not only adjustable but is yieldable in its nature being made of a spring structure which is independent of the chair bacl: to which itis attached. This adj ustable back rest is in fact a yieldable back, the action of which is independent of the action of the chair back itself. The adjustment of the back rest can be readily effected by the occupant without rising from the chair, and while the straps or guides l5 are still under tension. It is necessary only to pull forward the bottom of the back rest and raise or lower it to the desired position. The straps or guides which support the chair seat, and the cooperating guide elements carried by the top of the back rest, permit this swinging forward of the bottom of the back rest, while the weight of theback rest normally tends to hold the bottom of the back rest against the guides so that the interlocking supporting means will hold the back rest in the desired position of adjustment. It will also be seen that the novel means for holding the chair seat and chair back in a reclining position positively accomplish this` result and nevertheless permit free return of the seat and back to normal position without necessitating any manual operation of the holding means.

It will be understood that variations and modifications can be made of the embodiments of the invention illustrated without departing from its spirit and scope.

I claim:

l. A chair back having a plurality of vertically arranged guides spaced apart, a back rest slidable on said guides and extending forwardly therefrom, said back rest comprisin g a rigid back frame extending between said guides and having near its top coperating guide elements spaced apart and engaging said guides and arranged to permit swinging forward of the bottom of the back rest with respect to the guides and guide elements, means carried by the back rest arranged to engage said guides and to be held normally in engagement therewith by the weight of the baclr rest and to disengage said guides and permit adjusting of the back rest when the bottom thereof is swung forward.

2. A chair back having a plurality of vertically arranged flexible guides spaced apart and yieldable independently of each other,a back rest slidable on said guides and extending forwardly therefrom, said back rest comprising a rigid back frame extending between said guides and having near its top cooperating guide elements spaced apart and engaging said guides and arranged to permit swinging forward of the bottom of the back rest with respect to the guides and guide elements, means carried by the back rest arranged to engage said guides and to be held normally in engagement therewith by the weight of the back rest and to disen` gage said guides and permit adjusting of the baclr rest when the bottom thereof is swung forward.

3. A chair back having a plurality of vertically arranged guides spaced apart, a back rest slidable on said guides and extending forwardly therefrom, said back rest comprising a rigid back frame extending between said guides and having near its top coperating guide elements spaced apart and engaging said guides and arranged to permit swinging forward of the bottom of the back rest with respect to the guides and guide elements, means projecting from the bottom of the back rest arranged to engage said guides and to be held normally in engagement therewith by the weight of the back rest and to be disengaged by forward movement of the bottom of the back rest to permit adjusting of the back rest.

et. A chair back having a plurality of vertically arranged flexible guides spaced apart and vieldable independently of each other, a back rest slidable on said guides and extending forwardly therefrom, said back rest comprising a rigid back frame extending between said guides and having near its top cooperating guide elements spaced apart and engaging said guides and arranged to permit swinging forward of the bottom of the back rest with respect to the guides and guide elements, means projecting from the bottom of the back rest arranged to engage said guides and to be held normally in engagement therewith by the weight of the back rest and to be disengaged by forward movement of the bottom of the back rest to permit adjusting of the back rest.

ln testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES E. HANGER. Witnesses:

F. E. BARRows, I. C. VAN HORN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, I). C. 

